Lead With Impact
Start each case study with the result: "Increased conversion by 34%" or "Reduced page load time by 60%." Hook them with the outcome, then show how you got there.
Keep It Updated
A portfolio with projects from 2019 signals that you haven't grown since then. Add new work regularly and remove outdated pieces.
Make Contact Easy
Your contact information should be visible on every page. Don't make people hunt for how to reach you. Include email, LinkedIn, and a contact form.
Want to know if your portfolio converts? Our portfolio roast tool analyzes your case studies, positioning, contact flow, and design — with a score and specific suggestions to make it a hiring magnet.
What Recruiters Literally Look For
In the first eight seconds, recruiters look for: your name and role, your best project, and a way to contact you. If any of those three is not immediately visible, the portfolio is failing regardless of how beautiful it is. Designers and developers often optimize for portfolio reviews while neglecting the 80% of visitors who are non-designers scanning for competence signals.
Case Study Anatomy That Holds Attention
- The one-line summary. "Redesigned checkout flow for a DTC brand — conversion up 27% in 60 days."
- Your role and constraints. Team size, timeline, tools, and what was off-limits.
- The decision you made that mattered. Show a fork in the road and why you chose one path.
- Evidence. Screenshots, metrics, a quick before/after.
- What you would do differently. This single section screams seniority — juniors hide their misses, experienced people analyze them.
Portfolio Hygiene Every 90 Days
Archive projects more than two years old unless they are flagship work. Add any new client or employer project within a month of finishing it. Re-test that every page still loads on mobile. And re-check that your contact email in the footer matches your resume and LinkedIn — a single outdated contact method quietly kills conversion.
Portfolio Questions, Answered
Should my portfolio be a custom site or a template?
Custom sites leave a stronger impression for designers and developers, while templates are perfectly acceptable for other disciplines; the work matters more than the tech. The non-negotiable is speed, mobile behavior, and a clear scroll path to your best work and contact. Fancy technology that slows the page actively hurts you.
How many projects should I show?
Four to six strong projects, each demonstrating a different skill or industry. A portfolio with fifteen average projects teaches the reader to skim; a portfolio with five sharp ones teaches them to stop. Quality and specificity beat quantity and range.
Should I include client names and results?
Name clients whenever your agreement allows, and quantify results when you can. If NDAs cover everything, anonymize honestly, "a Series B fintech," rather than inventing specifics. Fabrications surface in reference checks and destroy your credibility. The pattern of solved X, measured Y, delivered Z matters more than any single name.
How do I build a portfolio with no client work yet?
Do self-initiated projects: redesign a public brand's site as a spec project, build tools for a community you belong to, or recreate a famous product's UX in your style. Label them honestly as concept work; employers grade the thinking and the craft, which is exactly what concept work showcases.
Try Our Portfolio roast tool
Get an honest, multi-angle review of your portfolio in 15 seconds.
Try It Now
